I am in Grand Rapids, MI today for the Life International Ministry Board Meeting and I just went for a run in the snow. I am staying at a wonderful large cabin called the Wingshadow out in the middle of the woods, so it was a real rural run (river, trails, etc.). It has been a couple of years, but I do have considerable experience running in very cold weather, snow, and ice.
As I trudged my way through, I began to think about my goal in running, the obstacles to achieving it, and the steps I had taken to prepare to overcome those obstacles. My goals for this run were two-fold; to get cardio-vascular exercise contributing to my fitness (while avoiding a broken leg and hypothermia) and to have an awesome time in God's presence among His creation. The obstacles were the very cold temperature, snow and ice on the roads, and actual snow falling in my face. Another obstacle was that I am out in the woods in Western Michigan and could easily get lost.
Fortunately, I considered these obstacles ahead of time. I packed my high tech cold weather running clothes, so I could handle the cold. I also brought my GPS watch so if I became disoriented and was lost I could simply hit the "return to start" button and follow it back to the cabin. The other thing I did was make sure I ran every day for the five days before I left. This way, even if the worst happened and we were snowed in, I would be in good enough shape to pick up when I returned home.
Just before I ran, I put on a couple of layers and went outside to test the temperature. I also put my watch outside to make sure it could receive a GPS signal. Unfortunately, the fact that it is an old watch and a very grey sky meant no signal. So, one of my backup safety systems was not available. I grabbed my GPS enabled Blackberry. "Yes" - I love new technology. So, I marked my present location as a favorite and tossed the Blackberry in my sweatsuit pocket. It wasn't a bad idea to have a phone along as another back up.
On the run I was especially careful to pay attention to landmarks. When I had to make turns, I noted the time on my watch, so I could figure the approximate time to turn on the way back. I paid very close attention to the road surface. Some spots had snow covered ice; others had pretty deep snow. Some stretches had a nice clean road surface. I ran hard when I could safely. I slowed down considerably when I wasn't sure of the ground beneath me. It was much better to move forward slowly then to end up lying on the side of the road wondering if I would be rescued before hypothermia would set in.
All this effort and planning I put into achieving this simple goal made me think about our spiritual journey with Christ. Hebrews 12:1,2 tells us:
How can we "set ourselves up to succeed" in these goals? Are there some places or people we should stay away from? Are there some practices we should discontinue? Are there some spiritual disciplines we should build into our lives, so we can be strengthened and overcome? Do we sometimes get discouraged by how slowly we seem to be moving forward and how difficult the obstacles appear? Remember, the important thing is not how fast we are moving, but that we are moving (even if we are trudging along like we are in 2 feet of snow) in the right direction.
The second application is the example given by Jesus. His goal was to "sit down at the right hand of the throne of God". He had many obstacles in His way. Yet, He endured them all, including the cross. The next time we begin to whine about how hard it is to live for Christ and overcome sin, let us consider verse 4 of this chapter:
By the way, the run was awesome and I did not get lost or break anything!!!
As I trudged my way through, I began to think about my goal in running, the obstacles to achieving it, and the steps I had taken to prepare to overcome those obstacles. My goals for this run were two-fold; to get cardio-vascular exercise contributing to my fitness (while avoiding a broken leg and hypothermia) and to have an awesome time in God's presence among His creation. The obstacles were the very cold temperature, snow and ice on the roads, and actual snow falling in my face. Another obstacle was that I am out in the woods in Western Michigan and could easily get lost.
Fortunately, I considered these obstacles ahead of time. I packed my high tech cold weather running clothes, so I could handle the cold. I also brought my GPS watch so if I became disoriented and was lost I could simply hit the "return to start" button and follow it back to the cabin. The other thing I did was make sure I ran every day for the five days before I left. This way, even if the worst happened and we were snowed in, I would be in good enough shape to pick up when I returned home.
Just before I ran, I put on a couple of layers and went outside to test the temperature. I also put my watch outside to make sure it could receive a GPS signal. Unfortunately, the fact that it is an old watch and a very grey sky meant no signal. So, one of my backup safety systems was not available. I grabbed my GPS enabled Blackberry. "Yes" - I love new technology. So, I marked my present location as a favorite and tossed the Blackberry in my sweatsuit pocket. It wasn't a bad idea to have a phone along as another back up.
On the run I was especially careful to pay attention to landmarks. When I had to make turns, I noted the time on my watch, so I could figure the approximate time to turn on the way back. I paid very close attention to the road surface. Some spots had snow covered ice; others had pretty deep snow. Some stretches had a nice clean road surface. I ran hard when I could safely. I slowed down considerably when I wasn't sure of the ground beneath me. It was much better to move forward slowly then to end up lying on the side of the road wondering if I would be rescued before hypothermia would set in.
All this effort and planning I put into achieving this simple goal made me think about our spiritual journey with Christ. Hebrews 12:1,2 tells us:
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."There are two applications here that speak to me. First is the race that we run. Do we do everything possible to put ourselves in a position to overcome our obstacles (weight and sin)? Consider all the things I did to set myself up to succeed with my running goal. What might some of the practical applications of this be to our spiritual life if our goals are to overcome sin and grow spiritually in Christ?
How can we "set ourselves up to succeed" in these goals? Are there some places or people we should stay away from? Are there some practices we should discontinue? Are there some spiritual disciplines we should build into our lives, so we can be strengthened and overcome? Do we sometimes get discouraged by how slowly we seem to be moving forward and how difficult the obstacles appear? Remember, the important thing is not how fast we are moving, but that we are moving (even if we are trudging along like we are in 2 feet of snow) in the right direction.
The second application is the example given by Jesus. His goal was to "sit down at the right hand of the throne of God". He had many obstacles in His way. Yet, He endured them all, including the cross. The next time we begin to whine about how hard it is to live for Christ and overcome sin, let us consider verse 4 of this chapter:
"you have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."
By the way, the run was awesome and I did not get lost or break anything!!!
